This is Horrible, But It’s Not Common Core

I say it was a mistake because people continued to share it without including my warning. Let me be clear. This book is awful, and if I were a parent in this district I’d be furious.

This article, or really the headline because the article doesn’t even mention Common Core, is an example of how we can easily discredit ourselves.

Common Core State Standards are math and English language arts standards with literacy standards in social studies and science. There are no health standards. There are no sex ed standards. This book, to my knowledge, doesn’t even claim to be Common Core aligned. Even if they did claim that how could they when there are no standards related to this topic? Even saying this book exists because of a focus on informational text would be an incredible stretch.

There is plenty wrong with Common Core. Stories like this are not necessary. It seems like “Common Core” was added to the title to add social media value. Considering it has over 12,000 likes on Facebook apparently it worked. Which begs the question: how often do people actually read stories they like?

This story really is a school district decision, and I’ll say it again, should be called out. It’s a story worth telling, but it is not Common Core. Not everything bad we see in education is due to Common Core.

It’s ok to be angry, but be factual, otherwise you look foolish and discredit our movement. Stop it!

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Comments

I get this all the time Shane, and you’re correct. Some well meaning, but ignorant common core opponant will find some outrageous thing in SOME curriculum somewhere and start screaming “see? look what Common Core is doing!”
There are SO many things wrong with Common Core. We really don’t need to invent any that don’t exist,

The problem is that some districts are sneaking this type of sex end book in as a reading ELA book and calling it Common Core Compliant. Publishers see the cash cow and certain elements of society see the chance to further their agenda with crap like this.

That’s where parents need to be diligent at the local level. However if this was introduced into a sex ed class I wouldn’t think that is the case. After all most reading in that type of class would be informational text no?

I agree that just about anything in sex-ed can be used as an “informational text” and that is the danger that such texts are being used to further certain agendas. The problem is that the publishers tell the districts they need these books because of common core, the districts tell the taxpayers the same thing, then we fight among ourselves and warn each other not to fight against this aspect of common core as part of the overall battle.

Common Core was designed for one purpose and one purpose only, leftist indoctrination. It was never about college readiness or international benchmarking and it never will be.

Thank you Shane for posting this and adding the warning. After having read this article, I have also added something similar to my postings of this article. The other point is that the Pacific Justice Institute has agreed to help the parents in Fremont which was announced the day after this story broke.

It’s not horrible. It’s the predictable fallout one would expect for a reform that is so broad and sloppy.

Common Core invited this sort of slop. Long ago I gave up trying to determine
what was and what wasn’t Common Core related stuff. Know why? Because it just doesn’t matter. Now I hardly care.

Common Core has opened the educational flood-gates … and when that happens, expect sewage. It’s not OUR task to confirm whether or not some is or
isn’t Common Core related. It’s THEIR job to prove it isn’t.

Common Core was an outright invitation to every musing basement dweller with a
computer to toss their twisted ideas of “education’ into the mix. Faux
educationalists see Common Core as a blank slate … to be colored by
their views.

Got a beef with the 2nd Amendment? Craft a slippery unit on the need for
gun-bans in a “modern” society. Hate fossil fuels? Scribble out a lesson
package hammering energy industries that are balding our forests and
fouling our rivers … even if they’re not. Hate the term “exceptional’?
Push out a crafty unit highlighting every misstep in the nation’s
history … with special emphasis on sexism, militarism, racism … and
every other ism that comes to mind. If you adore BIG government, well,
Common Core is your cover to seep into the schools. Blast folks who have
differing views on marriage or nutrition or school reform … anything
at all in order to give more and more intrusive opportunities to those
who would undermine the Constitution and parental rights.

No, it’s not horrible. I rather like it because it exposes the absurdities
that Common Core has welcomed. Every miscreant with an agenda can find
both opportunity and solace under the Common Core tent. Common Core has
made anything and everything an educational possibility.

Common Core itself set the template. Now they own everything that splatters.

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